


Roman Holiday

by AgenderCombeferre



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Christmas Fluff, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sweet Fluff, Thalia is confused and gay, cursing, mostly - Freeform, not excessively but still, that's the reasoning for the T rating its only a few times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgenderCombeferre/pseuds/AgenderCombeferre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>gift for cosmicalduck.tumblr.com for the PJO Secret Santa exchange! I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this, I hope it's worth it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roman Holiday

     Reyna knew that her friends had the best intentions, but they were getting to be quite ridiculous.

     She understood where they were coming from, it was rare that they see her between duties as an RA, the pressure of managing several clubs and her studies, but one thing she did not need was Annabeth and Piper playing matchmaker

     About three months into the school year Annabeth and Piper began to come over together to her dorm, electing to ignore the activities on campus and instead bugging Reyna, inquisiting her as though something drastic had changed in the last day. Into December it became more scarce that they come over together, studying for finals and all, but the Wednesday before break they managed and Reyna decided she’d had enough. Well, not exactly _decided._ There was actually more slamming of notebooks and water bottles to the tabletop than involved in decisions, the papers fluttering to the hardwood floor before sliding in every direction.

     “I don’t need the two of you to do this! I’m perfectly capable of working out my own love life! Even if I was in the market for a partner, I can’t very well do it now, I’ve got two exams _tomorrow!”_

     Piper and Annabeth were both quiet for a moment, and for that moment Reyna felt a pang of regret for her words and used the retrieval the papers as an excuse to hide her face.

     “We’re sorry Reyna, we only wanted to help.” Annabeth said in a hushed tone, helping her pick up the papers as Piper replaced the water bottle and Reyna’s chair, which had moved back to the wall in her rush to stand.

     “I know and I am grateful, but you’ve not got the best of timing.” Reyna sighed, running her hand through her hair after setting the papers on the small circle table.

     Piper exchanged a brief look with Annabeth, almost too brief for Reyna to catch. Almost.

     “So Reyna, what are your holiday plans?” Piper asked innocently enough, interestingly choosing that moment to rearrange the papers to a neat stack.

     “I was planning on staying on campus, as you well know, but by the look on your faces you’ve got something else in mind.”

     Piper smiled as she glanced at Annabeth, Reyna guessed they’d worked out who’d actually propose their idea to her in advance. (By worked out, Reyna stifled a chuckle, it is meant that Annabeth proposed the question of who would ask and Piper had given her the _look_ , the look that came from films that made people do whatever their partner wanted)

     “Jason’s father is going to the Caribbean with an, er, guest,” Reyna didn’t know Jason’s father very well but she was assured that was for the best, the man being a serial adulterer. “and he’s allowing Jason to have the whole group over at his house just out of the city and we were to give you your invitation. Jason told us yesterday.”

     “I,” It was a lot to take in. Reyna knew Jason was well off, but the idea of it being to such a degree that his father could afford to leave his home in the care of a bunch of university students was nearly unthinkable from her experiences. She hadn’t exactly had a plan for the three weeks on campus, she and Hylla had no way to get together from Reyna’s school in New York and Hylla’s in []. It would be nice to see their friends in ways that weren’t rushed between classes and extracurricular activities. “I guess, if it isn’t too much.”

     Piper practically squeals, taking her hand in excitement. “Excellent! If we can survive the next two days and the drive to the house, this’ll be great!”

* * *

 

     It is remarkable how many trees one never notices line the roads in New York when in bloom. It is less remarkable when one has been staring at said trees for two hours.

     “I thought you said it was just outside of the city.” Reyna complained, just as Piper let her head fall dramatically onto Annabeth’s shoulder with a groan of agreement.

     “We’ll be there soon enough. Enjoy the view.” Annabeth snorted, but Reyna notices the look of discomfort in the corners of her face. None of them had been on a bus for this long since move-in day several months ago and their bodies were not enjoying the view.

     “Jason’s a lucky bastard,” Piper muttered. “Who the hell only has three exams? He was out of the dorm by Tuesday night!” Most of their group of friends lived in the same dorm building and the girls had helped the others take the belongings they were taking over break between exams. Jason had left with Leo, Hazel and Frank on Tuesday, Percy, Will and Nico leaving the following day.

     “Apparently Jason does.” Annabeth responded responded, her chin atop Piper’s head, glancing at her phone in surprise as a message arrived. Annabeth glanced at her phone, her eyebrows knit together as she read an incoming message. “Something’s come up, Jason’s asked his sister to pick us up on her way back from her internship.” Reyna nodded, thinking back to the times she’d seen Jason’s sister, what she could remember about who Thalia was and what she looked like. Her exam-fried brain decided the question required too much thought as she tilted her head back as sleep beckoned feebly.

     It seemed like no time had passed before Annabeth was shaking the shoulder of her girlfriend, and consequently Reyna. “This is our stop!”

     Reyna groggily opened her eyes and standed, yawning. The three gathered their bags from their feet and the overhead storage and, laden with a month’s worth of clothes, waddled off the bus.

     “Ah, Annabeth?”

     “Mm?” Annabeth responded, holding her bus ticket in her mouth as she looked around for a place to set down their bags.

     “Do you have any idea what Jason’s sister looks like? Or where she is.”

     For a moment Annabeth’s eyes widened in panic, but she apparently saw something to remedy it as she struggled to talk through her ticket.

     “What I imagine Annabeth is trying to say is; look out for the woman in the cool Star Wars shirt behind you!” A new voice came in over Annabeth’s attempts. Annabeth looked so excited Reyna half wondered what a person that could make Annabeth nearly _jump in excitement_ could be like, but when she turned to see all thoughts of Annabeth were cleared from her mind.

     The woman was nearly Reyna’s own height, smiling brightly from behind sunglasses. Her jacket tucked a Star Wars shirt to her body, leading to black jeans and converse sneakers.

     “As much as I love standing in the middle of a bus station holding all of my possessions as Reyna stares at Jason’s sister, which I truly do, don’t get me wrong, should we perhaps move before my arms fall off? Preferably to a vehicle in which we can put our bags on not the dirty bus station floor?” Reyna was jarred by Piper’s voice, blinking in the hurried way one does when realising one had been caught. Thalia laughed, turning and walking to the exit.

     “I’ve got just the vehicle.”

     After one of the most interesting shows of Thalia’s ability to fit all of their bags in the back of her car the four girls were packed in the car, Annabeth and Piper fast asleep in the backseat, Reyna in the passenger seat and Thalia at the wheel.

     Thalia, as it turned out, had many talents that were not fitting their oversized bags into a small car. Some of them included the smoothest driving Reyna had ever seen. Others were accomplishing said driving at just above the speed limit, while humming along to the soft radio and keeping up a good conversation with Reyna.

     “I get it, I think,” Thalia said, glancing to her left before merging onto the off ramp to the highway. “Whenever I’m at home Jason’s there and he and Leo are pretty much on that level of sickening cuteness.” Reyna glanced at Piper and Annabeth in the back, smiling softly before facing front.

     “It's not like we’re not happy for them,” Thalia continued. “but people in relationships are rather attached to the idea that everyone who isn’t wants to be at every moment of the day.”

     Reyna nodded in agreement, not really sure what to say, Thalia had really understood it. She was so happy for Annabeth and Piper, so happy that they were happy, and perhaps sometimes she was lonely in the way of wanting a partner, but she rather wanted to find that partner on her own, and not just because her friends pitied her.

     “Is Jason trying to do that? Match you up, that is?” Thalia snorted in response, shaking her head.

     “He tried. I find I’m rather convincing if I put my mind to it.”

     Reyna laughed, Jason pestering Thalia the way Annabeth and Piper had been to her was rather unimaginable. Thalia looked in the rearview mirror, as though checking to see Piper and Annabeth safely asleep. Then, shifting the car into cruise control, glancing at Reyna through her sunglasses.

     “The way I see it, Reyna, we’re in the same boat.” Reyna’s eyebrows raised, wondering what boat that could have been. “Jason and his friends trying to set me up, these two doing the same with you.” Reyna nodded. “I’ve been thinking of a solution, obviously they can be ignored, but one does not want to ignore one’s friends and brother. However, if they thought we were seeing someone, the annoyance goes away. I was thinking of just inventing a person, but it would be much more convincing if they saw us with the person, and this way you’re out of the fire as well.”

     Reyna considered it. It sounded like utter madness, something of a romantic comedy film, no way the group would buy it. On the other hand, Reyna could do without Piper and Annabeth’s comments.

     “Won’t it be rather difficult? We’ve not exactly spoken alone before now.”

     “Luckily I’ve already thought of that. Before term began we were both at Percy’s place. I’ll just say I got your number then and we’ve been talking, slow build and all. I did, ah” Thalia swallowed, her hands rubbing across the steering wheel. “I might’ve mentioned then to Jason that you were cute. I mean, are, not past tense.” Reyna noticed a slight blush rising in Thalia’s cheeks.

     “That’s, ah.” Reyna laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with that, I might’ve said the same to Annabeth, so she might believe us.”

     “Exactly.” Thalia said, clearly glad to have moved subjects. “And we can say that’s why we weren’t interested in anyone else. I was thinking we got together around Thanksgiving, I said something too obvious to you and we went from there. Told our “feelings”, that is.” Reyna nodded.

     “That sounds really good. You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought.”

     “That was the story I had working for the imaginary person, I’ve just modified it a bit.” At Reyna’s confused look, she went on. “In my first draft, I was rather smooth, but in real life its more realistic that I’d drop a bomb like “hey, I really like you and I hope you like me because I’d like to kiss you a lot” accidentally.” Reyna smiled, glancing out the window.

     “Truth be told, I would probably do that as well. So, we just...go about it softly? Like, sit next to each other, hold hands, the works?”

     “I think that’ll do, no use overdoing it.” Thalia replied, glancing at Reyna through her sunglasses with a smile. Reyna smiled in return, moving her hand from gripping the middle console beside Thalia’s to holding the other woman’s hand.

     “If we’re going to be holding hands,” Reyna theorised aloud at Thalia’s start. “We won’t want to look awkward, like it was the first time. The second or third, but just to take the edge off.”

     “Good idea.” Thalia said, moving her hand so that their fingers were properly interlaced. Reyna felt a tug at her lips, the beginning of a smile.

     It felt nice.

* * *

 

     “Oh.”

     It was a rather pathetic response, Reyna had to admit. Certainly not the one deserving of the house, if such a building is categorised as ‘house’ and not ‘castle’. It was tall, grand, and completely made of stone, bare-branched trees littering the border, laden with snow.

     “Just missing the moat, yeah?” Thalia asked, taking her hand from Reyna’s for the first time in the two hours it took to get there to shift the car into park.

     “Oh, Annabeth is going to love this.”

     Annabeth did, in fact, love the house. She was less thrilled to be shaken awake, though Reyna knew from memory that she was lucky to have avoided the risk of waking Piper and the punch that may follow.

     They all gathered their bags, following Thalia as she walked and attempted to fish a key from her pocket at the same time. She managed the balancing act just to the front door before she dropped suitcase and backpack, sunglasses following at her attempt to catch them.

     As a reflex Reyna knelt to help her in carrying a bag, only having two herself. She went to grab the suitcase just as Thalia did, Reyna holding the case’s handle and Thalia holding Reyna’s hand. Reyna looked up with a start to tell Thalia that she could get it as Thalia unlocked the door. However, when she met Thalia’s eyes, she couldn’t bring up the words.

     Reyna was struck first that they were Jason’s eyes, but more wild. Jason had the eyes of someone reasonable, someone friendly. Thalia’s eyes, on the contrary, seemed to emit their own electricity.

     Before Reyna could try to speak, to cover her blatant staring, the door swung open. A short man with crazed brown eyes and hair that seemed to be trying its’ hardest to go every which way possible grinned, stepping to the side.

     “Ladies.” Leo said, laughing as Reyna and Thalia scrambled to their feet. “Welcome to this _ridiculously_ big house.”

* * *

 

     In his excitement to show the girls the grand house, Leo had them leave their coats and bags by the door. Reyna carefully set Thalia’s suitcase next to her bag, Thalia herself smiling in thanks.

     “Oh man, wait until you see this place. It’s got so much _stuff.”_ Reyna knew of Leo’s ADHD, and guessed that he, Percy and Nico (if they managed to convince him) had had a tour such as this. As th ey set off, Piper and Annabeth flanking Leo, Thalia and Reyna behind, Thalia took hold of Reyna’s hand, squeezing as though to ask, _is this okay?_ Reyna gently squeezed Thalia’s hands in return, following Leo down the hall.

     They passed through halls, past bedrooms, living areas and plethora of bathrooms. Leo noted the area of bedrooms they’d be staaing in, the opposite side of the house from Jason’s father’s room.

     “Aaaaand, last but not least, the kitchen!”

     Like the rest of the house the kitchen was made of stone walls, lighter on the inside in a way that coaxed the winter sun though the windows. Spotless steel stood out, white cabinetry and posh stools around a stovetop isle where Jason, Hazel, Nico, and Frank sat.

     “You made it!” Jason, for all his otherwise seriousness, jumped out of his seat as a child would, running over to embrace his sister, Reyna and Thalia’s hands separating in the act. After all of the hugs were done, coats were shrugged off and hung on the backs of chairs as everyone sorted themselves around the isle.

     “I just made a pot of hot chocolate, would any of you want some?” Jason asked. They all agreed that yes, they would very much like hot chocolate. Jason gathered mugs from a cabinet, ladling the drinks and passing them to all who did not previously had a cup. Reyna brought her cup under her nose, taking in the scent of chocolate and nutmeg.

     There was gentle chatter, Piper, Hazel, and Frank comparing notes on the trip to the house. (“Leo kept having to use the bathroom.” “I almost got sick, it's been so long since I’ve been in a car.” “Between the bus and the car, it felt like two forevers, but I slept through most of it.”) Reyna listened, at ease at last with her friends, Thalia’s hand in hers on the tabletop.

     “Okay, I wasn’t going to say anything, but you two are strangely close for two people who’ve only met once and barely interacted.” Leo was clearly, for once, not joking. Reyna glanced at piper, catching Piper and Annabeth’s excited but confused expressions as they looked from Thalia and Reyna’s hands, to each other, and to Reyna. _You want to take this one or shall I?_ Thalia nodded, squeezing her hand once before speaking.

“Reyna and I exchanged numbers over the summer, got to know each other, and…” Thalia trailed off, obviously not sure how to phrase their ‘relationship’.

“And, to follow in all of your footsteps, we were dramatic and told each other how we felt in true rom-com fashion. And now, here we are.”

Instantly arguing broke out, including how undramatic the group was, questions of why this was kept secret, and ironically an “I knew it!” from Percy.

“So this is why you were so against us helping you!” Annabeth exclaimed. “You’d already…” She trailed off with a sigh, reaching around Thalia to clap her on the shoulder, an “I’m happy for you.” look in her eyes.

“If we’re finished having a mass discussion on our love lives,” Thalia’s voice rang slightly above the rest, but only just. “I’d like to clear my things from the doorway, perhaps show Piper, Annabeth, and Reyna where they’ll be sleeping?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Jason agreed. “It's probably been a long day for all of us, we’ll settle in and start dinner around six?”

The group agreed, and Annabeth, Piper, Reyna and Thalia got to their feet, finishing their hot chocolate and rinsing out the mugs.

Thalia led them back to the front door, and after they gathered their belongings, led them down a hallway to the rooms Leo had said they were to stay in. While Annabeth and Piper were busy coordinating where to put their belongings, Thalia gestured for Reyna to follow her. They arrived at what must’ve been Thalia’s, the door opening to band posters, bookshelves and a surprising amount of space. In the way of furniture there was a bed, a dresser, and a couch on the far side of the room near the window. A record player was on the dresser, record disks and CD cases propped along the rest.

“I thought now while everyone is busy would be the best time to talk. Until Annabeth and Piper find you and interrogate why they weren’t the first to know.” Reyna laughed, nodding.

“Sure, was there something you specifically needed? Like, are we expecting they interrogate that we know each other’s birthdays and blood types or more general?”

“I was thinking more of what we’re to do now that it seems they think this has been going on for longer than we were going to say, and what it’ll look like if people who have been dating for months and have been waiting to meet face to face again sleep on nearly separate sides of the house.” Thalia said, glancing from place to place before landing on Reyna, as though she was trying to avoid eye contact. She was scared.

“I hadn’t thought about that.” Reyna admitted, thinking of where to go from there. “We could just say we’re taking it slow, or else I can take the couch. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“As long as you’re in my room I won’t make you sleep on the couch. This bed, like the rest of this house, is ridiculously big, room enough for two people. We’re adults, we know it's not real. I won’t tell your future partner.” Thalia said, waving her hand as though it was insane for Reyna to even suggest otherwise. Reyna had no qualms about sleeping with other people, much less people like Thalia who were interesting, who understood so much while not actively talking about either of their past.

“Okay then, as long as its truly okay,” Reyna paused, giving Thalia time to back out. She said nothing. “Okay, that’s settled then. Anything else?”

“Perhaps we should just go over basic things? Majors, clubs, classes?”

The two had just over an hour, sitting on the couch, going over the ways their relationship would form before they were interrupted. Reyna told Thalia about all of her courses, all of the clubs and student governments taking up her time. Thalia, as it happened, was a spectacular listener. She told Reyna how she also had taxing courses, being a Psych major. Thalia wanted to deal with kids, help them when they didn’t know where to go, what to do, and, in some of the cases she described to Reyna, they didn’t even know something was wrong.

“I knew so many people who had, like, serious medical things going on, but the therapists and counselors and parents just explained it away to being laziness, or some teenage angst.” She had said, the anger in her voice something Reyna could understand. When she was in school she had always been the kid who no one ever thought to check on. She had good grades, was in all sorts of clubs and student governments, she even had a fair amount of friends. No one had ever thought to ask, _hey, how are you doing under the pressure of all of this responsibility, the pressure to be better than your perfect older sister, and getting into college with no help from the parents you don’t have?_

In return, Reyna told Thalia how she was going to get into the government, make it run by the rules it was set to. Every time she saw a government official bend the rules for money, every life lost to the failing police system, every citizen wronged in the government’s wake filled Reyna with such a rage, such an urge to tear it all apart and start anew.

“Ah, I see, you’re going to be the president, I see?” Thalia joked, something Piper, Percy and Leo had said each a few times. By now Reyna was used to it.

“Exactly.” She deadpanned, just before breaking into laughter at the incredulous expression on Thalia’s face. Thalia laughed as well, shaking with it.

Just at that moment, the two of them doubled over in laughter, Piper decided to knock on the door, just before opening the door.

“It rather defeats the purpose of knocking to open the door before those inside answer.” Reyna said, catching her breath.

“When have I ever acted with purpose?” Piper asks, crossing the room to take her hand, pulling at her to get up. “C’mon, we’ve been patient, we gave you a whole thirty minutes with your secret lover. Its time.”

“Be strong, my love!” Thalia called dramatically as Reyna was only just pulled from the room. Reyna laughed, keeping up with Piper until they’d gotten to her and Annabeth’s temporary room, Piper shutting the door behind her with a neat _snap._

“Okay, spill. You’ve been seeing someone for _months-”_

“Not exactly _seeing_.” Reyna interjects. Piper continues as though she didn’t hear.

“-and not a word to either of us? What did we do, make you feel uncomfortable?”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Reyna assured them quickly, the two moving to join Annabeth sitting on the queen sized bed. “I just,” Reyna paused, wondering how to word emotions she had never felt. “I really like her, and I didn’t...I don’t want to mess this up.”

Annabeth, who had been looking on rather sulkily, looked as though Reyna had said the most emotional, heartfelt thing imaginable when she shuffled forward to bring Reyna into a hug.

“You’re not going to mess anything up. She really likes you, I can tell.”

Piper, from Reyna’s limited view through Annabeth’s hair, looked like she wasn’t sure what to think. Reyna held out an arm, offering a spot in the hug, which she accepted.

“So, months of conversation...what did the two of you talk about?”

After a couple hours of Annabeth and Piper demanding to know all of the details from Reyna and Thalia’s ‘conversations’ (thank the gods Reyna deleted text messages) Reyna headed back over to Thalia’s room to put her belongings in order. She knocked on the door, only a moment passing before Thalia replied; “Come in!”

“It looks a bit weird, I think.” Thalia mused from her bed, dropping her headphones to her neck, pushing her laptop away. “You, my girlfriend, knocking before coming in my room.”

“I’ll be sure to barge in unexpectedly next time.” Reyna offered, Thalia smiled

“That’s all I ask.”

Reyna went to her bags, moving them together while she tried to figure where she was meant to put her clothing. As though reading her mind, Thalia swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got to her feet.

“I haven’t got a lot of clothes, I pushed them to one side of the drawers if you’d like to use them. It’ll be too long for you to be here to keep them in your bag. Not just for Reasons,” she put an emphasis on _reasons,_ as though they were being listened to. “but just for reason’s sake.” She opened the second drawer, half full of shirts, the other half bare, as though it was necessary to prove such a thing.

“Oh, thank you.” Reyna replied, though she was still confused about the strange way in which Thalia was speaking. She kneeled by her bags, separating all of her shirts to put them in the drawer, Thalia strangely still standing next to her. When she stood to put the clothes in the drawer Thalia leaned close, whispering in her ear.

“Percy, Jason, and Leo paid me a little visit after you left. They seemed a bit suspicious, but I think we’re okay. Just airing on the side of caution.”

“Right.” Reyna replied, breath catching slightly at Thalia’s proximity. Usually, Reyna didn’t like people being that close to her, it made her uneasy. But with Thalia, it was somehow alright.

Thalia went back to her bed, clicking around on her laptop in a way that sounded like she was closing several programmes. Reyna Just finished putting her clothes away and her bag to the side as Thalia shut the computer, setting it on her bedside table.

“I was just checking in on a few friends in the pre-Psych programme. Some of them, coming home isn’t the best of times. All seems to be okay, though.” She checked her watch, smiling as she met Reyna’s eyes. “It’s just  about six, we could see if any hot chocolate has made it this far?”

Thalia and Reyna made their way to the kitchen, chatting about the different styles of interrogation their friends had used in the time they were apart, only to find all of their friends already present when they got there.

“Oooooh,” Leo didn’t quite yell, but he was loud enough to get the attention of all of their friends. “Look who’s decided to join us, and where they happen to be standing!”

Reyna didn’t see anything out of the ordinary about the doorway in which they’d stopped, but when she turned to Thalia the other woman’s gaze was fixed on a plant hanging from the ceiling, green leaves with white berries in the centre.

Reyna didn’t panic, knowing that if she did the others would only suspect them. She was aware that had their fake relationship been real this still would’ve been their first kiss, but she was no less determined to show that she wasn’t bothered by it, that they were grown women who could kiss even if it didn’t necessarily mean what it was supposed to.

Reyna moved quickly enough not to arouse suspicion but slow enough that Thalia could back out at any time. She reached up to cup Thalia’s cheek, the other woman only being an inch or two taller than herself. She brought Thalia’s face closer to her own, Thalia’s eyes wide but not so panicked that she pulled away as Reyna kissed her, softly but casually, as though she had done it before, as though they did this all the time. Thalia’s lips were soft and warm beneath her own, a hand clutching Reyna’s shoulder. They kissed for a moment, two, before-

“Okay, we get it! Jesus, we’re about to eat!” Percy called, and Reyna pulled back, smiling gently at Thalia, who’s eyes remained closed for only a moment. They walked into the kitchen, all being back to normal. Jason and Leo were arguing over how much of some ingredient should go into the dinner, Reyna couldn’t see what it was. Piper and Annabeth were sitting at the counter, looking through a cookbook and calling out ingredients to Nico and Percy, who were retrieving them. Frank and Hazel were mixing bowls of ingredients, white powder on Frank’s front and some sort of dough on the tips of Hazel’s fingers as she moved on to kneading it by hand.

Reyna could never tell you what the meal was actually supposed to be, but with her friends around the table and Thalia’s bright, laughing eyes trained on her, it didn’t matter.

The days passed peacefully, some spent with the group simply watching television or hanging about. (Piper was rather enthusiastic to show them some French cartoon she’d been watching. Reyna thought it was really good, as did the rest of the group. The only difference was that some - Percy, Leo, and Thalia - were rather loud when talking about how good it was  _ while the show was playing.) _ Some they spent walking into the town the house was on the outskirts of, just for the chance to get out. Thalia and Reyna walked to the grocery store, to the park, anywhere to get out of the house.

Before Reyna knew it, it was New Year’s eve. She and Thalia were helping Frank and Hazel set up streamers, Leo and Percy blowing up balloons, Nico and Jason doing a bit of cooking, and Piper and Annabeth hung the balloons spastically as soon as they were finished.  

Reyna and Thalia had practically perfected their act, knowing when to smile, when to laugh, and the right time for the occasional kiss. Though, Reyna pondered as Thalia handed her an end of a streamer with a smile, it was getting harder to tell on her end where pretend relationship admiration ended and actual feelings for Thalia began.

There was no denying, whatever Reyna felt or didn’t feel, that Thalia was beautiful. Reyna’s heart fluttered when she saw those bright eyes, that messy black hair, that brilliant smile aimed at  _ her.  _ She woke earlier than Thalia, and that messy hair was the first thing she saw every morning, it spread over Thalia’s peaceful face as she slept. In the beginning they had slept with their backs to each other, not out of disrespect but in the obvious awkwardness of sleeping in the same bed as a near-stranger. Now, though, they fell asleep talking to each other as though they’d always done it. They would talk about school, about friends, about anything. Sometimes their talking went far into the early morning, the lights off and facing each other in the dark. In those talks, the glances, the slight lingering on both of their parts, Reyna would wonder if it was possible that Thalia felt the same, but immediately squashed down the hope.  _ This is just pretend, can’t you remember that? Don’t go breaking your own heart. _

Sometimes Reyna thought about telling Thaila how she felt, asking her out on a proper date, asking her to be her actual girlfriend. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to, She hadn’t known Thalia long, but the prospect of losing her over a crush was out of the question. No, Reyna resolved, she would just make it through the holiday, then everything would go back to normal.

After Reyna hung the last streamer she sat heavily into a chair around the table next to Percy, who smiled at her, a mostly-full balloon between his lips. Reyna laughed, lightly pushing him away by the cheek. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jason ask Thalia to join him in the kitchen to help him with something. She wasn’t concerned until Nico, who had just stepped out of the kitchen as Thalia stepped in, walked over to her and asked if he could talk to her for a moment. 

They walked down the hallway, ending up in a room full of plants. They hung from the ceiling, sat on tables and the floor. Reyna looked around, aware of Nico watching her as he sat at a table in the centre of the room with gloves and spotless spades across the top.

“Am I supposed to sit as well?” Reyna asked, and Nico shrugged.

“If you want.” He offered. Reyna sat in the chair across from him, waiting for him to begin.

“Reyna,” He went to say more but paused, as though unsure how to phrase what he had to say. Reyna was rather surprised by this. Earlier in their relationship Nico had been cautious, almost afraid that if he began to speak he would say too much. Now, though, he was open with her. They understood each other. “We know.” Reyna was confused, and was about to ask what it was that he knew, when Nico went on. “Jason and I, we know that you and Thalia aren’t really...you know.”

Reyna was silent for a moment, debating whether to deny it or accept fate. She chose the latter, it was nearly impossible to lie to Nico, and now that he knew she had already tried she had no desire to do so again.

“Okay. Am I supposed to go announce it to the others?”

“No, it's not that.” Nico assured her, eyes wide as though he would never think of such a thing. “We haven’t told anyone, either. It’s just,” Nico paused, looking at her in a very strange way. “I see the way you look at her, when you don’t think anyone is looking. I know that you really like her I just wanted,” He paused again, taking a breath as though to steel himself for something. “I wanted to advise you to tell her before the holiday is over. You’ll only regret it if you don’t.”

Reyna was surprised, especially with this coming from Nico, who she had known to keep his feelings to himself. “And you’re such an expert on the ‘telling others how you feel’ thing, yes?”

Nico huffed a laugh, bringing his hands together across the tabletop. “I’m an expert in not doing so, and knowing the results. It’s different with you, she really likes you. I can tell.”

“Since when do you know when people like people? I thought that was Piper and Jason’s specialty.” Nico smiled, but only after rolling his eyes.

“No, it's their specialty to pry and try to match people up for the sake of it. I’m just offering you some advice, as someone who’s been there.”

“I’m really grateful for that.” Reyna smiled, reaching across to squeeze his hand lightly before standing. “Come on they’ll miss us.”

“It’s kind of crazy, this night used to be so special, staying up to midnight. Now that’s something we do nearly every day.” Nico remarked. It was nearly ten minutes to midnight and the group was spread out across the living room, the countdown show on the television. No one had pots or wooden spoons at the ready, but they all felt that small feeling of excitement.

Reyna was next to Thalia, Nico on her other side and Piper and Annabeth on the floor near her feet, doing a puzzle. Piper would get angry at the complexity, the puzzle nearly having a thousand pieces, and Annabeth would soothe her with a kiss on the nose, a hand to her shoulder. Reyna had Thalia’s laptop in her lap, Thalia and Nico calling out instructions as Reyna tried to heed them.

“Oooh, get the pink ball, they’ll love it!”

“Look, that one left you a fish! How cute!”

“A game of pixilated cats shouldn’t take this much effort.” Reyna grumbled. Thalia gasped dramatically, taking her computer back and looking at Reyna as though scandalized.

“She doesn’t mean it, little pixilated cats!” Piper called up, not taking her eyes off the puzzle. Reyna rolled her eyes, watching Thalia as she played the game, looking fondly among the pixilated cats. She looked so effortlessly focused, so peaceful that Reyna couldn’t help bet reach over and kiss her cheek. Thalia smiled, a dopey sort of smile quite different from the normal smile she offered, and Reyna felt her heart flutter.  _ Gods damn it, I’m so fucked. _

Reyna checked the clock out of meat curiosity. Five minutes to midnight. Percy had gotten up, gone presumably to get something, then Leo left and Reyna became slightly suspicious, but not enough to move or say anything.

Thalia sighed, setting the laptop to the side, stretching in her spot. When finished she sat up straight, looking back at Reyna.

“Can I talk to you for a moment? Nothing bad, I promise.”

Reyna nodded, disentangling herself from the blanket spread between herself and Nico, throwing her portion over the boy’s face. He pushed it away immediately, but he was laughing when he did so, pushing her shoulder lightly as Reyna stood, following Thalia down the hall. Thalia led her just a bit away, ducking into one of the unused rooms for privacy’s sake.

“So, ah, I’m guessing earlier today Nico told you what Jason told me?” Thalia asked. They stood just beyond the doorway, Thalia’s arms crossed and her hands sliding up and down her arms.

“Yeah, that they knew.” Reyna replied, not sure what else to say. Was this Thalia saying she didn’t want to pretend anymore? Reyna’s thoughts whizzed from bad scenario to worse, passing Thalia for the rest of the week before they returned to school, taking all of her things from Thalia’s drawers, having to tell Annabeth and Piper that she had lied to them, but that her feelings had changed. Only hers.

Thalia nodded, swallowing as she glanced to the window through which the moon shone bright and clear, lighting up the pastel blue room. Reyna’s gaze caught a small digital alarm clock by the side of the room’s bed. Two minutes to midnight.

“I just,” Thalia said, startling Reyna slightly. “I,” She didn’t seem to know how to phrase whatever version of ‘it’s over, get your things out of my room’ that Reyna was expecting. Well, perhaps she was exaggerating a bit, Reyna chided herself as Thalia let out a breath in a huff of frustration.

“It’s okay Thalia, I understand.” Reyna said softly, considering reaching out to touch Thalia’s shoulder, to tell her that it was truly alright. Thalia looked at her, eyes wide, as though she couldn’t believe her. She kept her arms at her side. 

“You...you do?” 

“Yeah. Should we tell the others?”

“I don’t-”

One minute to midnight.

“It’s okay.”

“-I love you.” 

They spoke at the same time. Thalia’s eyes widened as though she hadn’t meant to. Reyna froze, her breath catching.

“You weren’t-”

“You do?”

Thirty seconds.

“If you don’t-”

“Are you sure-?”

“TEN,”

“How could I not?” The weak response, Thalia’s arms dropping to her side.

“FIVE,”

“I-”

“TWO”

“Come  _ here.” _

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Reyna hardly noticed the yells, the banging, the music blasting from the television. All she could focus on was pulling Thalia to her, kissing her with all that she had, because  _ finally. _

They had kissed over the past three weeks, passing and pretending, but this was something entirely different. There was nothing to prove, no one to satisfy but themselves. Thalia hugged Reyna tight, her fingers pressing into her shirt, coming through her hair, touching her anywhere they could.

They were so caught up in each other they didn’t notice the noise getting closer, pots and pans and what might’ve been a kazoo right outside the doorway, along with New-Years’ cheers and shouts of feigned disgust.

“I realise you are in a room, that does not prevent me from telling you to go to one.” Leo yelled. Jason rolled his eyes, kissing his boyfriend in order to shut him up. Reyna broke the kiss, breathing heavily and holding Thalia tight as she glanced at the group in the doorway, Thalia dropping her head to the crook of Reyna’s neck in what seemed to be complete exhaustion.

“Fine.” She responded, kicking the door shut. Muffled talking and shouting came from behind it, but over all of the voices Reyna heard Nico ushering the group back to the living room, and the noise faded.

“Hey,” Reyna said, and Thalia lifted her head, smiling that big dopey smile that Reyna would never get enough of. “You okay?”

“Finally.” Was the only response she gave, resting her forehead against Reyna’s. Reyna had to agree.

As much as I love standing in a strange room,” Reyna began, drawing a laugh from Thalia. “I think I would rather go about this in your room?”

“Definitely,” Thalia agreed with a smile, her arms falling from around Reyna’s waist only to allow her to take Reyna’s hand. Reyna kissed her nose, unable and unwilling to ignore the urge that she always had to kiss Thalia when she smiled, her face all pinched up in able to do so. “You’ve only got so much time before Annabeth and Piper steal you away. 

Reyna walked with Thalia peacefully to her room, only questioning the last comment when the door was closed and Thalia’s arms were once again around her.

“Did Nico not tell you? Piper knew the whole time. She was awake when we were discussing it in the car.” She added, seeing Reyna’s confusion.

“Mmm,” Reyna said, kissing Thalia lazily, reveling in the knowledge that she could do so freely now. “Well, never mind that. We’ve got now.”

Thalia smiled, cupping Reyna’s cheek and speaking before kissing her once more: “We’ve got so much more than right now.”

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: This work is entirely fictional, a work of fanfiction and is in no way a representation of Rick Riordan or anyone who represents him/his publisher/the future of the series/anything legal. Rick Riordan does not, as well as anyone else in any way a part of the creation of actual Heroes of Olympus works, recognise of this work as an official representation of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus series.


End file.
